


Making Monjayaki Memories

by ladymacbethsspot



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Awkward Dates, Awkward Kissing, First Dates, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 15:56:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13103577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladymacbethsspot/pseuds/ladymacbethsspot
Summary: Ryuji and Akira go out on a date of sorts, misunderstandings and feelings ensue. There's a hefty helping of teenage-style angst, but it's all rather sweet.





	Making Monjayaki Memories

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ASpicyBurrito](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ASpicyBurrito/gifts).



> I wrote this date fic for my very dear friend, ASpicyBurrito, as a (slightly early) Christmas gift! Merry Christmas, I hope you enjoy whatever this is!
> 
> Also, I've never written any P5 before, so this was a fun challenge (haha, teenage characters).
> 
> I suppose if anyone cares they can find me on [Tumblr](https://ladymacbethsspot.tumblr.com/) where I reblog and write things that are, for the most part, Eruri-oriented.

* * *

The hands of the clock were deliberate and slow, creeping their way forward. It was much too early in the week to be thinking this way, there was far too much to do. Studying, the part-time job at the florist, it all took time and there was never enough of it in one single day.

Akira was staring idly out the window of his classroom, trying to lose himself in the monotony of the teacher’s voice, when the phone in his pocket buzzed halfway into third period. He eased it out of his slacks, leaning forward slightly and keeping his eyes on the instructor. Arching his back slightly, he made what he hoped was a quiet and casual movement. Mr. Ushimaru was strict, and he’d already been hit in the face once with a hard piece of well-aimed chalk.

His eyes flicked down to the phone screen, ignoring the little white paw reaching out of his desk. There was a text from Ryuji.

_You free today? Want to go to the gym?_

Akira thought for a moment. He’d been meaning to hang out with Ryuji, after all, he was the first real friend he’d made after transferring. Ryuji was always fun to spend time with, his carefree attitude rubbed off a little on Akira and made him forget how serious their situations were. They even had a lot in common, not to mention that they complimented each other well as work-out buddies. Sure, sometimes Ryuji made fun of him for just wearing his gym clothes, but it’s not like Ryuji’s workout clothing was any cooler. Besides, he’d been studying and staying in to help Sojiro with the café a lot recently and burning off some energy at the gym was a relieving alternative.

_Sure._

He sent the message. He was still staring at his phone when the reply showed up a few moments later with a gentle buzz.

_Great, I’ll meet you there. Forgot to bring my gym stuff to school._

A half-smile crossed Akira’s face as he read the response. Ryuji was a little bit forgetful, wasn’t he? He could always just wear his gym clothing, after all. Akira was about to text him to that effect when he heard Mr. Ushimaru clearing his throat. His head snapped up to look at the man.

Too late.

The stick of chalk whizzed through the air, hitting Akira squarely on the cheek with a stinging _smack_. After a stunned moment of stillness, he bent down quietly to pick up the pieces of broken chalk, rubbing at the sore spot as the students around him laughed and giggled. The laughter stopped abruptly when the teacher’s voice cut through the room, “I’m glad you’ve decided to join us, _Mr. Kurusu_. Don’t any of the rest of you think I can’t see what you’re doing though.” Everyone who had laughed shifted uncomfortably in their seats, including Akira. Mr. Ushimaru huffed, adding, “Fooling around in class when you should be learning…” before continuing the lecture.

Akira rubbed at his cheek. It stung a little, but probably wouldn’t leave any marks. He slid his phone back into his pocket, taking care this time to attract as little attention as possible. If only he was more…skilled. Maybe then he would have been able to dodge the chalk.

Akira looked out the window again, unable to prevent himself from drifting back into his daydream. He imagined himself expertly dodging the piece of chalk. Expertly dodging twenty chalk pieces. Dodging them, plucking them effortlessly from the air, and placing them in a neat row on his desk. Everyone around oooh’ed and aaah’ed at his proficiency, his charm. Even Mr. Ushimaru would be impressed.

 

* * *

 

When Akira got to the gym in Shibuya he headed straight to the locker room to change. He’d forgotten to text Ryuji after all, so he took his time changing- he’d have to wait for his friend to show up anyway. It was surprisingly quiet at the gym today, at least judging by how many empty lockers were available. Akira chose one near the back of the room, out of the line of sight of the door. It wasn’t that he was hiding, he just wasn’t sure he really wanted strangers to burst in and see him in the middle of changing. More a privacy thing than anything else, he told himself as he removed his jacket, hanging it on the hook in the locker to keep it from wrinkling. It’s not like he was embarrassed by his body, he reasoned, removing his shirt and pants and folding them carefully before placing them into the locker. At least, not _really_.

Morgana popped his head out of the school duffel he’d brought, the sudden motion made Akira drop the sock he had just pulled off.

“When are you going to let me out? It’s stuffy in here with your smelly gym clothes!” He meowed.

Akira looked around quickly, a habit that had become reflexive after Morgana had taken to accompanying him everywhere.

“Sorry about that, you can come out now.” He unzipped the duffel and Morgana jumped nimbly onto the locker room bench. “You have to be quiet though and you should probably hide somewhere, you know people aren’t expecting to see a cat at the gym.” Morgana flicked his whiskers in what almost looked like annoyance before scampering off. Akira finished changing, putting on his white t-shirt and red gym tracksuit.

Just as he was about to put his duffel into the locker with his other things, the door to the locker room opened in a _whoosh_ of air. A moment later Ryuji walked over, peering around the stands of lockers, smiling when he noticed Akira.

“Dude, there you are! What are you doing hiding back here, man?”

Akira shook his head, “I’m not hiding. I just-” he paused, thinking quickly, “don’t like being in front of the door. There’s a draft when people open it.” Ryuji nodded, slinging the bag he was carrying onto the bench and opening it up as he took off his sweatshirt.

“Hey, no problem,” Ryuji answered, “I get it, I wouldn’t want anyone walking in and just seeing my junk either.” Akira looked down. He fumbled around in his duffel before pulling out a water bottle.

“I’ve, uh, got to fill this up. I’ll meet you by the weights.” Akira mumbled, turning his face away as Ryuji took his shirt off and quickly heading out of the locker room. It’s not like he was embarrassed to see Ryuji taking off his clothes. At least, not _really_.

Ryuji met him by the weights once he’d finished changing. He wore a teal t-shirt, and was already rolling the sleeves up to his shoulders. Loose sweats were pulled up above his calves. Akira wondered how he could always look so casual, the slight slouch and confident swagger Ryuji had to his movements made Akira feel stilted and awkward in comparison. Too formal, too stiff. Where Akira held himself back, waiting for others to give cues, Ryuji would just dive in.

It was the same today at the gym. Ryuji knew his way around the exercises from his time with the track team and he was used to giving directions, probably had plenty of times with his younger teammates. Akira was glad for it, for once he didn’t have to think quickly and could just let Ryuji lead the way as they went through different exercises and repetitions. They counted them out for each other, pretending to be strict and egging each other on to do one more in each set. Ryuji bet he could do more bicep curls on each side and Akira almost shook his head, ready to blow off the challenge. But Ryuji was just so excited about it, so caught up in the moment, that he brought Akira along with him in his enthusiasm.

In the end Ryuji won: 5 more reps than Akira could do. Not too surprising though, it’s not like Akira had really spent much time working out or playing sports. Ryuji might not have been running track recently, but anyone could still see how coordinated he was, how easily and comfortably he moved. Akira frowned playfully, poking Ryuji in the arm.

“Next time, I’ll win. I bet you.”

Ryuji grinned, picking up the boasting banter immediately, “Sure, whatever you say, Akira. I’ll bet next time I beat you by 10 reps!”

“That’s ridiculous. There’s no way you’re that much stronger than me.”

“Sure, I am,” Ryuji grinned, flexing his biceps in an exaggerated motion, “Look at these babies.” Akira chuckled, indulging Ryuji’s good humor, eyeing the wiry muscle that popped out of his friend’s upper arm.

“Hey, I’ve been thinking,” Ryuji said suddenly, forgetting their bets.

“Oh, about what?”

“We should go check out this restaurant I heard about. We’ve got plenty of money from our Phantom Thieves work.”

“A restaurant?” Akira was intrigued, for once ignoring the offhand mention of their covert actions.

“Yeah, it’s a monjayaki place in Tsukishima, it’s supposed to be amazing!”

Akira nodded, “That sounds good to me. Should we invite the others?”

“No!” Ryuji blurted, stopping himself as quickly as he’d begun. Akira tilted his head to the side, confused by the outburst.

“But if we’re using the Phantom Thieves money then shouldn’t we…” He trailed off before Ryuji cut in.

“Aw, come on, don’t worry about it. It’s not like Ann would want to go anyway, they don’t serve any sweets at a place like that. And Yusuke eats _way_ too much, if he goes there’s no way we’ll be able to afford it. Besides, it’s a small place, too many people wouldn’t be comfortable there.”

Akira thought it over. It was true, they did have plenty of money from the palaces, and it was always fun to go eat at the interesting, out of the way places Ryuji found. On the other hand, he felt bad about excluding everyone else. Unless…

Unless this was a date? Was Ryuji asking him on a date? Akira thought for a moment. It kind of made sense. He’d been so quick to protest inviting other people, and he’d pointed out that it was a small restaurant. He’d also waited and asked in person rather than through a text or some other impersonal means. Akira felt himself growing warm, heat rising in his cheeks from more than just the exertion of their exercise.

He shook the feeling off, embarrassed by how quickly he’d gotten sucked into this train of thought. It wasn’t like it was a big deal anyway. It was just a date. Or maybe it wasn’t a date? The confusion tugged him in both directions, making him take far too long to respond. Sighing internally, Akira decided. He should make sure he knew what was going on before he agreed to anything.

“Are you sure you don’t want to invite anyone else?” Akira asked carefully, looking at Ryuji.

“Yeah, of course, that’s why I asked this way. Just you and me. Quality time together.”

Akira turned the response over in his mind. It fit. Ryuji wasn’t exactly coming straight out and asking him, but it certainly seemed direct. The expression on his face was hopeful. The intention to ask him privately and in person was there, and Ryuji had assured him that it would just be the two of them. Also, the mention of quality time, that seemed a lot like a date.

“Okay,” Akira agreed, “When do you want to go?”

“Are you free Friday?”

“Sure.”

“Great, how about we meet at Tsukishima station at 6pm on Friday then?”

Akira nodded and Ryuji grinned back. Friday at 6pm. Definitely a date.

  

* * *

 

On Friday Akira rushed home after school, he wanted to make certain he had plenty of time to prepare for dinner that night. There was a lot to do to prepare. Akira had already made some preparations, washing and ironing his favorite outfit the night before and laying it out. He still needed to take a bath and wash his hair though. He needed to polish his glasses. He needed to-

He need to calm down.

He’d been thinking about their date all week and the thought had made him more nervous than he’d like to admit.

What if it went poorly? He didn’t want to lose a good friend like Ryuji over something like that, but had he already made a misstep by agreeing to come in the first place? On the other hand, if Ryuji asked him out he must be interested in him, and that was a good thing from any angle Akira looked at it. Ryuji was fun and encouraging, a reliable guy despite his goofy exterior. If the date went well Akira knew they’d have a lot of fun together, and he was going to do everything he could to make sure it was perfect.

 

* * *

 

Akira arrived at Tsukishima station at 5:55pm sharp. He found a bench to sit on and flipped out his phone, messing with it to burn time until Ryuji arrived. He waited. A few minutes passed, it was 6:01pm. Not a big deal, Ryuji wasn’t always exactly on time anyway. He checked his emails and browsed the Phan site for a few moments. 6:05 pm. Still, not really a big deal, five minutes could just be the train or some other minor delay. At 6:15pm the anxiety began. It itched at his mind, making him shift and tap his foot. This was late, even for Ryuji. Akira checked his texts, he didn’t see any from his friend though.

Had Ryuji stood him up? More importantly, why would be do that? Ryuji was nothing if not reliable. Akira felt hurt for a moment, but his disappointment soon turned to worry. Had something bad happened? He started, surprised by the friendly voice calling his name.

“Akira!” It was Ryuji, waving as he jogged over, “Sorry about that! I got all caught up doing something for my mom and then I meant to text you to say I was running late but I’d forgotten my phone at home and was already on the train!” Akira sighed in relief. Ryuji was just being Ryuji, nothing to worry about.

“It’s no problem,” he answered, standing “Let’s go to this monjayaki place, right?” Ryuji nodded and they headed off to the restaurant.

It was a small place, just like Ryuji had said. Old and comfortable, with a lived-in feeling to the weathered wooden tables. They both sank down into chairs facing each other, relieved to be ending the school week with a relaxing meal. They complained about school, lamenting how much homework they’d gotten this week and how exams were coming up way too soon.

“Hey, you know Mr. Ushimaru?” Akira asked, remembering back to earlier in the week.

“Oh yeah, that guy’s got something up his ass for sure, what a stick in the mud!” Akira snorted, it was an accurate portrayal of the man.

“He threw a piece of chalk at me earlier this week.”

“What?! Why? No way you were goofing off in class, you’re usually pretty quiet.”

“Yeah, I guess I was just daydreaming or something.”

“Or something? Daydreaming isn’t a crime.”

“Okay, okay. I was texting.”

“Ooooooh, bad. You’re a troublemaker,” Ryuji teased in a sing-song voice and winked.

“I was texting you.”

“Oh,” Ryuji’s expression grew apologetic. He rubbed at the back of his head, mussing short blonde hair that never seemed very tidy. “Sorry about that, man.”

Akira laughed quietly and shook his head, letting Ryuji know it wasn’t a big deal. Their food arrived, small bowls with batter in the bottom topped with cabbage and different ingredients. Ryuji had almost picked one of everything so there was a bowl with cheese and eggplant, one with seafood and onions, and a few with meat and vegetables. Akira looked at all the bowls and hoped Ryuji was as hungry as he kept saying he was.

“Man, I’m starving, let’s get this party started!” Ryuji grabbed one of the bowls, upending it on the hot griddle and chopping at the ingredients, cutting them into smaller and smaller pieces. “You ever had monja before?”

“No,” Akira replied, a little surprised by how quickly Ryuji was chopping up the ingredients.

“Ah, maybe it’s a Tokyo thing?” Akira nodded, drinking his tea quietly. Preparing the monja only took a few minutes before Ryuji declared it done, grabbing his small spatula and swiping a piece of the hot pancake straight off the griddle.

“Isn’t that hot?” Akira asked, picking up his own spatula.

“Oh yeah, but it’s best this way- dig in!” They devoured the monja, taking turns as the pancake disappeared quickly. Savory and warm, it was the perfect relaxing meal to end a long week.

As the monja cooked Akira felt himself relax more. The crackling sizzle of batter. The scent of cooking meat wafting around them. The excitement of testing each flavor, trying not to burn their mouths in the process. Each one tasted better than the last. Even the eggplant and cheese monja was delicious- surprisingly so. They ate and talked and Akira started to feel a little sad that it was all going to end, it felt too soon. There weren’t a lot of chances to relax like this, just enjoy each other’s company between the hectic and draining schedule of school and palaces.

Ryuji seemed to notice his mood and slowed down a little. “Something bothering you?” Akira looked at him, thinking about what he should say. It was hard to explain the way he felt. How he wanted to just stay here, in this moment, having a good time with someone he cared about. He didn’t want to upset Ryuji, he wanted him to know that he was really enjoying the date, but it was hard to put it all into words. “Thinking about home?” Ryuji guessed.

“I mean, you thinking about your parents and your other home?” Akira wasn’t before, but the feeling wasn’t so much different, that odd kind of longing. He looked down, letting Ryuji talk.

“I bet it’s really hard to be away from them like this. It’s also pretty shitty of them to send you away.” Now Akira was thinking about it. “I can’t pretend like I know what you’re going through.” Ryuji added, looking Akira in the eye and frowning slightly. “But you know my Dad’s not around, so maybe it’s a bit like that.”

Akira paused, then nodded. If anyone was going to understand, it would be Ryuji. Being rejected by people you thought you could trust. Being sent away from the group you knew and then ignored. Akira hadn’t really thought about it that way before, but now that he did he realized their similarities. Ryuji really did understand, in a way not just anyone could.

“If you wanna’ talk about it, it’s fine.” Ryuji’s voice was serious, “But if you don’t, it’s fine too.” The other boy offered a small smile. Akira returned it, feeling a slight warmth on the back of his neck and a catch in his breath. Ryuji understood.

They finished their meal in companionable silence.

Stepping outside, Ryuji turned to Akira. “Wanna’ see a movie?”

“Okay, sure, it’s not too late. What do you have in mind?”

Ryuji took out his phone, looking up show times. “There’s an action movie playing now- Cake Knight Rises? Sounds pretty cool.”

 

* * *

 

The movie theater was dark and quiet for a Friday night. Ryuji had picked seats in the back, far enough away from anyone that they could joke and laugh at the movie together. Heads leaned close, knees touching, they snickered over the dramatic dialogue. Ryuji made sound effects during the fight scene and Akira almost lost it laughing, clapping a hand quickly over his mouth to keep from disturbing everyone.

As the movie ended Akira shifted in his seat, about to get up to leave. He felt a hand on his wrist, laid there as Ryuji looked over to him. “Wait, I want to stay through the credits.”

“Why?”

“Maybe there will be a trailer or an extra scene. Those are usually really funny.”

Akira relaxed, watching the credits silently. Ryuji’s hand was still over his wrist. He noticed how close their legs were, the spot where their knees touched felt like it was burning a hole through his jeans. The credits were moving by so slowly, and Akira could feel his heart beating in his chest. He took deeper breaths, through his nose to calm down. He couldn’t help looking over at Ryuji in the dark, his eyes lingered on the other boy’s profile.

The theater emptied around them until they were the only ones left. The credits finally ended. Akira’s heart pounded in his ears. Ryuji turned from the screen to look at him, and Akira leaned in. Their lips brushed, faint and soft. Akira closed his eyes, his kiss hesitant. A little awkward, their noses bumped. Akira felt Ryuji stiffen, and opened his eyes.

Ryuji’s eyes were wide. Akira pulled away, and the hand left his wrist in a rush. Akira felt his heartbeat go wild, his face flushing with embarrassment. He stood up quickly, unsettled by Ryuji’s open-mouthed stare.

He’d gotten it wrong. He was wrong. How could he have been so wrong?

Akira left the theater, rushing away. He saw nothing on his way home, everything passing in a blur as he berated himself for being so stupid. For reading the signs so wrong. Ryuji’s face, his shocked stare, torturing him.

 

* * *

 

The weekend crawled by. Akira spent far too much time staring at his phone, wondering if he should text Ryuji. Wondering how he should apologize, how he could fix their friendship. Of course, that was all it was: friendship. That was all it had ever been, how could he have been so stupid? Friends went out to dinner together. Friends went to the movies. Of course, they did. But friends didn’t get embarrassed over a little casual contact. Friends didn’t kiss each other in the back of movie theaters when no one was watching. He couldn’t believe how badly he’d messed everything up.

By the time the week arrived Akira had given up. What could he possibly say to excuse himself, to explain to Ryuji? He couldn’t think of anything and he was tired of agonizing over every minute of their not-date. It was too painful, seeing how he’d twisted everything in his mind to fit perfectly into his imagination.

When his phone buzzed gently in class on Tuesday he didn’t look at it. If it was Phantom Thief business it could wait an hour until lunch. If it was anyone else, they’d understand, he might as well focus on the lesson. At least school was something he understood.

At lunchtime, he checked the text. It was from Ryuji.

_Hey, can we talk? On the roof after school?_

His heart flipped over in his stomach. It was difficult to decide if this was better or worse than not hearing anything from Ryuji at all. Akira stared at the screen numbly before replying.

_Sure._

It’s not like things could get worse at this point anyway.

 

* * *

 

Akira sat through the rest of his classes. He wasn’t sure what Ryuji wanted to talk about, but he decided it would be best if he could mend the situation somehow. Play it off as just a stupid mistake. Apologize. Ask Ryuji to be his friend, to pretend nothing had happened. It didn’t feel like a great solution, but his friend was giving him a second chance. He couldn’t afford to pass it up.

The walk to the rooftop took longer than Akira had ever remembered. His steps were heavy, feet stubborn and clumsy. He gripped the stair rail hard until his knuckles pushed against his skin in sharp white peaks. He swung the door to the roof open- too quickly. It smacked against the wall with a bang, startling Ryuji.

Akira stepped out onto the roof and immediately felt exposed. There was nowhere he could hide from Ryuji here, no way to avoid this situation. All he could do was explain and hope Ryuji forgave him. All he could do was trust, and hope. He’d already messed up once. The image of Ryuji’s face, shocked in the dark theater, flashed in his mind. How he’d frozen, the confusion and surprise in his eyes. Akira looked down at the concrete rooftop, readying himself to speak. Readying himself to give up, to let go of his feelings.

“Hey,” Ryuji’s voice was quiet, he’d moved closer and was standing in front of Akira, “What was that all about last week?” His tone was soft, lacking its usual boisterous volume. Akira looked up, searching his face. He looked open, genuine. Thoughts of lying, of brushing off the encounter, of explaining everything away fled Akira’s mind. Ryuji deserved the truth.

“I thought you had asked me on a date. I’m sorry.”

Ryuji looked confused, then flustered, “Why?”

Akira sighed. “Well, you didn’t want anyone else to come. You asked me in person. You said it would be quality time,” Ryuji seemed to be taking in his words slowly, the gears moving behind his concentrated expression. “Then the restaurant was very cozy, and you did all the cooking for me. You even asked me about my family. We went to the movie and sat all the way in the back. I just thought it was a date. I’m sorry I misinterpreted.” By now, realization had dawned in Ryuji’s face. His eyebrows travelled high up his forehead which had turned a deep shade of beet red. Akira looked away, turning to leave.

A hand caught Akira’s wrist.

He turned.

Ryuji stammered, “Wait.”

They both stood still for a moment, Ryuji blushing, opening and closing his mouth while he forced the words out. “I’m sorry too. I-”

“-I’d like to ask you out again. Properly. On a real date, this time.”

Akira blinked, “Oh?” he asked.

“Yeah. Akira, will you go out with me? To the arcade on Friday?”

“Just us?” Akira asked. Ryuji nodded. 

Akira only hesitated for a moment before giving his answer with a smile, “Sure, as long as we don’t use Phantom Thief funds.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments/feedback/etc. always welcome!


End file.
